Hall of Fame – Handicap Reduction

Jim Wendling – San Jose, CA

Qualification: 66% reduction in Handicap

From Jim, “I’ve been playing the best golf of my life this summer at the age of 66! It seemed to all come together starting in about May. My belief is the quality of GGA teaching and in particular the webinars has provided me greater insight into the Moe swing than before. Hearing the message expressed in new and creative ways has been productive. Todd and Tim just keep finding better and more effective ways to demonstrate the single plane swing. My typical handicap has been 8 or 9 for several years. This Spring I steadily dropped from 9 to eventually a 3 handicap in August. The highlight was a one under 71 at Half Moon Bay golf links in July, probably my personal best everything considered as I was playing a golf course I’m not familiar with.”

Chris Anderson – Macomb, MI

The GGA family has taken me under their wing as if I was one of their own. They have had such a large impact on not only my golf game but my entire life as well.

Bill Arnold – Anchorage, AK

Qualifications: 50% reduction in Handicap (5 to 2.4)

It has been a good year. I started my outside golf with a week in OKC in May (I don’t come out of hibernation very well, my first round was a 91 with 41 putts, I was trying out a new putter, to say the least I didn’t buy it) and finished it up with a week in California. Still things to work on….the journey continues.

When people compliment me on my game or ask me how I do it, I tell them it not by accident. I work hard at it and I don’t waste time with bad practice sessions. I remember someone mentioning how straight and consistent I hit my driver during a tournament, and one of the other players said, “watch him practice, that how he hits it on the range”. I always use a training aid (putting, chipping, pitching, hitting range balls) and I practice the same amount in each of the areas. I am thank full for my successes, because I know how fickle this game can be.

Mike Wilson – London, Ontario, Canada

Our first school was in Orlando Florida Feb 2003, when I was 50 years old. (That makes me 60 now! LOL)I was a 22 handicapper with a wicked slice and a bad back, always shooting in the high 90’s, low 100s. Within the first few years I was down to a 11 handicap, and in 2006, I won my flight, “C” 11 to 15 handicap. On September 26, 2007, I shot my first hole in one, from the back tees, 206yds #6 at my home club with my 5 wood. On September 26, 2012, I shot my second hole in one, oddly on the same hole, exactly 5 years later with my 8 iron, playing 140yds. They were doing maintenance on the back tees and had all the blocks in the forward position. On September 18, 2013, I shot my 3rd hole in one on the 4th hole at River Road, 153 yd with my 8 iron. I again won my club championship in my flight in 2013, after placing second a few times since the first. I shot a 73 at my home course River Road, slope of 126, when it was a par 72 in May 2006. River Road is now a par 71, slope 121, and I shot a par 71, Sept 1, 2013(1 under on front, , 1 over on back nines)

Thanks to Moe Norman, my Hero and of course the Graves Golf and Moe Norman Golf organizations. I can now golf without pain, even walking 36 holes in a single day.

Thom Cope – Tuscon, AZ

I have been using the single plane swing for several years now. I started when it was Natural Golf and even went to a school in Denver hosted by them. In 2011, I had 2 holes in one and back in the late nineties I had my first one using the single plane. I have reduced my handicap from shooting in the 90’s to a USGA handicap of 10.2. It has been under 9 but now I only can play once a week. My personal best of 77 was achieved using the single plane swing.

Gary Simmons – Tifton, GA

Qualification: Hole in One, Handicap Reduction, Personal Best Score

I attended the Orlando Clinic in February of 2008 and had already been introduced to Single Plane Golf by the Natural Golf people. Needless to say, I needed some help. I was probably a 15 handicapper when I attended. I ordered some clubs at the clinic and when I got back home I started working on my game. Later that year I shot my first 72 of my life which was a thrill. My scores continued to tumble and my handicap lowered to a 3 by the spring of 2009 with my lowest lifetime score of 72. During the spring of 2009, I had an incredible weekend. One Friday afternoon, I had 4 birdies and 1 eagle and shot 69 which my lowest score ever and something I never dreamed I would do. Needless to say I won all the money and was fired up for the next round. We played on the following Sunday and all of buddies gained up on me because they said I was in for a fall. I really surprised them that day and had 6 birdies to shoot another 69. Back to back 69’s was an incredible dream come true for me.

In October 2009 I was playing in a Chamber of Commerce tournament and had my first hole-in-one on #14, a 165 yard par 3.